New Head of the Asia Regional Office appointed

Dr. Flip van Helden joined EFI as the Head of the Asia Regional Office in Kuala Lumpur as of May 1, 2024. Flip has a PhD in Development Sociology from the Wageningen University and a MSc in Agricultural Development Economics from Wye College (University of London). 

He started his career in Papua New Guinea, working for the Department of Finance and Planning, and then for the PNG National Research Institute on an Integrated Conservation and Development project developed by the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation and the UNDP. After he moved back to the Netherlands in 1998, he did his PhD at Wageningen University and in 2001 started work for the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, where he was responsible for the Netherlands international forest and biodiversity policy. From 2008 to 2011, he joined DG Environment at the European Commission, where he coordinated FLEGT VPA negotiations between the EU and Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. As part of this function, he played a supporting role in the development of the EU Timber Regulation. Until recently he worked as Team Leader for international affairs in the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, where he coordinated the ministries input into international policymaking and managed NL bilateral economic relations within and outside the EU.